


fighting for my trust & you won't back down

by flamebirds



Category: DCU (Comics), Hawk and Dove (Comics), TItans (TV)
Genre: Actual Angel Dawn Granger, Human Disaster Bette Kane, Human Disaster Hank Hall, Multi, OT3, Set sometime in the future, but they're not important, other characters appear, slightly explicit but not much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamebirds/pseuds/flamebirds
Summary: "You want to sleep with Bette?""Ideally", Dawn huffs, her arms crossed over her chest as two pink spots appear on her cheeks, "you would also be there.""Ideally?"
Relationships: Dawn Granger/Hank Hall/Bette Kane
Comments: 12
Kudos: 11





	fighting for my trust & you won't back down

Generally speaking, Hank doesn't judge her off the people she dates. There's a lot of reasons, including their past trysts together, but mainly, he doesn't think he's in a position to do so. And anyway, she probably gets enough shit from the big bad Bat (capital B, for Bastard) but Bette is always smart about who she dates.

She's got a secret identity to keep, after all, and it's always been easier to date within the superhero community. Him, Charley, Duela, Donna, for a hilarious year, all the type of people that she runs into when she's wearing a mask and punching assholes in the face.

Speaking of assholes ━━

"The merger will definitely go through", Bette's latest and easily worst boyfriend says. "I've made sure of that."

Dawn gives a strained smile, her hand on Hank's thigh. She's digging her nails in every time she thinks that he's going to reach over the table and throttle the man... which is often.

Because, look, Bette can date whoever the hell she wants and he's not gonna judge her for that. Superheroes? Fine, he's with the greatest one (in his opinion). Supervillains? Slightly questionable, but Bette's probably thought the whole thing out and she'd never date a total psychopath.

But this guy? He's just a _dick._

Hank knows his type. Thanks to his father's political career, he knows this particular scumbag and he still can't quite believe that Bette's dating him. His personality alone should be enough to drive her far, far away, probably into the arms of somebody that knows ten different ways to kill a man with a hairpin, but that's still not the worst of it.

No, that comes in the form of his plans; a merger with Wayne Enterprises that Hank knows Bruce is against because Bette has ranted to him enough about it.

He doesn't like this. At all. Bette doesn't even look _comfortable_ next to Powers, too stiff to be properly relaxed. To anyone else, she probably looks fine, leaning into his touch, laughing lightly at his jokes, but Hank knows her.

Bette doesn't like Derek Powers any more than he does.

And it's really ━━ Hank's her friend, okay? One of her oldest and closest and he thinks he's earned the right to be concerned for her. They're older now, not the same dumb kids that thought they could save the entire world with the power of friendship, but there are times where she'll throw her head back in laughter, where pink lips stretch into a genuine smile, and he'll believe those childhood lies again.

He knows that the friendship between them is strong. It's survived spats of villainy, transcended petty things like life and death, and he'll probably end up as an old man who still thinks of her as one of his best friends.

He just hopes that their friendship is strong that when he says, _Powers is a dick, you can do better, you deserve better,_ that she doesn't get mad. Gotta approach that conversation carefully, with a tact he doesn't really have.

He doesn't want to remind her of Kate, is the thing. She'd be harsh and brutal, straight to the point, and maybe Bette needs that sometimes, but Hank doesn't think so. Sometimes, she needs someone to look her in the eyes and promise that it'll be okay.

Dawn's fingers dig into his leg once more as she takes a sip from her wine glass.

"So, Derek", she says, somehow calm despite it all, "how did you and Bette meet?"

Hank loves her. Really, this woman is infinitely out of his league and, interference from cosmic beings aside, he still can't believe that she loves him.

(Well, no, he can believe it ━━ because she says it every morning, every night, every time she kisses him softly, like he's something precious, something to be adored. He can believe when he looks in the eyes of the woman he loves and imagines that he has that similar glint whenever he's staring at her).

Powers starts on some boring story about being introduced at a gala and, really, when you compare that to meeting on top of a crashing airship and proceeding to save the world, it just doesn't hold up. It's so bland, so not Bette that it hurts him.

But it does give Dawn the excuse to whisper to him, her voice barely audible and certainly unheard by powers. "It's gonna be fine", she tells him, rubbing circles on his thigh. "I promise."

That's usually enough for him. A promise from Dawn Granger ━━ that's worth more than anything else in the _world._

But Bette's still tense. She hasn't said much for the entire conversation, just adding onto whatever Powers is talking about, and it's not her. Bette Kane dominates every conversation she enters, stealing the spotlight immediately.

And god, how could she not? She looks like an angel most of the time but when she's caught in the sun, when it's lighting up her hair like a fiery halo ━━ there's no one like Bette Kane then. 

There's _never_ anyone like her.

And maybe that's his problem here; Bette's not acting like Bette. She's not the sun here, now, sitting beside some rich asshole that doesn't know her, that would never be able to understand her. He hates it, hates seeing her subdued in any way.

"It's getting late", Bette says tersely. "We should probably be going."

"We have a pretty busy day tomorrow", Dawn agrees, which is code for 'they're going to take down an arms trafficking ring because any weapon that's been near Darkseid hurts like a bitch and they have the scars to prove it'.

Bette gets the message. "Don't be afraid to ask for help."

"Right back at you", Hank says. It's not the most subtle and it makes Derek scowl but Hank honestly sees that as a win. He's had to go through a whole night of not-Bette; he can stand to make an asshole uncomfortable.

He kisses her goodbye, on the cheek. Derek glares at him the entire time.

(There's a split second where he wants to move just a little to the left, wants to feel those pink lips on his again but it's gone before he can even acknowledge it). 

Dawn slips her hand into his, giving Bette one final hug goodbye. She whispers something in her ear and Bette smiles, soft and sad and real in a way that hurts. It disappears as soon as it arrives.

He doesn't protest, really, when Dawn pulls him out the restaurant and onto the streets, but he does cast several looks over his shoulders until he's sure that Bette has gotten into a cab.

It's not until they turn around the curb that he speaks.

"What the fuck was that?"

"I don't know", Dawn says, frowning. "I didn't like it, though."

"That makes two of us."

She lets out a little noise, halfway between a sigh and a huff. "That man is an _asshole."_

"I know!" He agrees, maybe a little quickly. "What the hell does Bette see in him? He's some crusty dick and she's ━━ she's Bette fucking Kane."

Dawn, the love of his life, his soulmate, the angel that he would give his life for in a second, doesn't interrupt him on his rant as he lists off every single thing about Derek Powers that he hates. It's a lot. He could be here for hours, honestly, and only get through the highlight reel.

The problem is this: she's Bette Kane. He's Hank Hall. There are fundamental facts and they're both followed by one simple truth that he's never gonna be able to ignore; he wants her to be happy. He wants to see her smile and laugh and finally be free and she isn't that with Derek Powers. There's always going to be one side of her hidden, the one that means the world to her and there's no scenario where she lets her new boyfriend know about it.

That means letting him have a clue, a major clue at that, to who Batman is and Bette, Bette could never do that. Could never risk her family in the name of her own happiness.

She's too good for Derek. Hank's telling this to Dawn in detail when they step inside their apartment, door clicking locked behind them, going over the amazing and selfless things that Bette has done over the years versus the selfish and morally questionable things that Powers and his entire company has been behind. 

It's a long list. He might have made some things up.

Dawn seems to be getting more and more irritated the further he goes along, which doesn't make any sense. He's making some excellent points here, about Derek's hairline and lack thereof, that should be appreciated and shouldn't be getting him the kind of scowl usually reserved for when he's thrown himself headfirst into danger or forgot Holly's birthday.

It's probably the latter. He hasn't put on the Hawk suit in a whole week.

The existence of Dawn's sister's birthday is not the point here. The point, that may have been muddled through several rather scathing remarks, is that Bette's totally out of her boyfriend's new league and it is ridiculous that they're even together.

Dawn doesn't look at him as she shimmies out of her dress, letting it pool around her legs as she pulls on one of his old college shirts. It looks good on her, the way that everything does, and if it wasn't for the rage that's still fizzling beneath the surface of his skin, he might focus on the way that shirt she makes look like Haute couture falls down one shoulder.

"I just don't get what she _sees_ in him", he huffs, yanking off his tie. "She's out of his league, you know?"

 _"Jesus Christ",_ Dawn says with a massive eye roll. For a second, Hank loses sight of her pupils, that's how bad it is. "You're _ridiculous."_

"I am not _ridiculous._ I'm _concerned_ about our close friend."

Dawn glares at him as she climbs underneath the covers, white hair looking like liquid moonlight. "Our close friend that you're in love with."

"That I'm what?"

"In love with", Dawn repeats, like it's something obvious and not utterly insane. "You have been since you were sixteen."

"I have never been in love with Bette Kane", he says, pausing immediately afterwards. "No, wait; I am currently not in love with Bette Kane."

 _"Very_ convincing."

"It's true!" He protests. "I just think she could do better than ━━"

"Some trust fund asshole that's never lifted a ginger a day in his life, I know", Dawn says. So she was listening to him. "But you are also, undeniably, in love with her."

And Hank, ever the adult, responds, "No, _you're_ in love with her."

"Never said I wasn't", Dawn says, which is completely _unfair._ "A month ago, I did try to seduce her."

"What."

"I tried", Dawn says slowly which Hank does appreciate. His brain is a little slow on the uptake here, "to get Bette in our bed."

"You want to sleep with Bette?"

 _"Ideally",_ Dawn huffs, her arms crossed over her chest as two pink spots appear on her cheeks, "you would _also_ be there."

_"Ideally?"_

Dawn shrugs, trying to act nonchalant. It doesn't work. "She's very pretty, you know."

Hank does know. He's seen her naked enough times to want to correct 'pretty' to 'ethereal'.

Which isn't actually the point here. "You think I'm in love with her and you want to sleep with her."

"Generally speaking, people who feel sexual attraction do want to sleep with people they're in love with."

He's positive that his brain has short-circuited. "Bette."

"Mm", she hums. "Our beautiful, funny close friend. Who we have both dated."

"We have?"

"Yes, Hank", she replies, "we have."

"Oh", he says eloquently. "And now you want us to date her at the same time?"

"It would be much better than listening to your jealous ranting."

"I'm not _jealous",_ he says. He doesn't deny the ranting part.

Dawn fixes him with one of her trademark 'shut-up-I'm-your-soulmate' looks. "You're a little jealous."

"I'm not even remotely jealous."

"Hank."

"Dawn."

She lets out a little sigh. "I'm not mad at you. I'm with you on this, okay?"

"But I'm not ━━ Bette and I _aren't like_ that. Not anymore."

"But you want to be."

Hank pulls the comforter aside, lying down next to her. To Dawn. To his soulmate. "I don't."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes", he says, lies, hopes. "I am."

Dawn sighs again, arm stretching out to turn off the lamp. "Just think about it, okay? For me?"

And that's... that's a promise he's definitely allowed to keep. There's a little leeway there. "For you."

He doesn't need light to know that she's smiling.

* * *

He doesn't sleep.

Dawn's out like a light in seconds, but he stares up at the ceiling, focusing on that weird little stain that he can just about make out in the moonlight.

 _Him._ In love with _Bette Kane._ It's insane. _It is._

Okay, sure, there were several points in his life where she was, but those are not now. Not since he and Dawn got together. 

But now the idea is in his head and he can't get it out. Can't get her out. Her and her pink lips, her laugh, that smile always reserved for her friends, her family. The way she'd moan whenever he ━━

No. That's not a road he's gonna go down.

You know why he's not gonna go down it? Because he's not in love with her.

He's not. Really.

(He is. Just a little bit).

**Author's Note:**

> Legally, legally, I am allowed to indulge any & all of my rare pairs & there's nothing any of you can actually do to stop me so, uh, deal with this mess, I suppose.


End file.
